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1 No. 16 of 2018 SIXTH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) (UNREVISED) FIRST SESSION SATURDAY 23 JUNE 2018 2 CONTENTS PAPERS LAID QUESTION (oral) MOTION BILL (Public) ADJOURNMENT 3 THE CABINET (Formed by Hon. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth) Hon. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, Minister of Finance and Economic Development Hon. Ivan Leslie Collendavelloo, GCSK, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Energy and Public SC Utilities Hon. Sir Anerood Jugnauth, GCSK, Minister Mentor, Minister of Defence, Minister for KCMG, QC Rodrigues Hon. Mrs Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Local Government and Outer Islands Hon. Seetanah Lutchmeenaraidoo, GCSK Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade Hon. Yogida Sawmynaden Minister of Technology, Communication and Innovation Hon. Nandcoomar Bodha, GCSK Minister of Public Infrastructure and Land Transport Hon. Mrs Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun Minister of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research Hon. Anil Kumarsingh Gayan, SC Minister of Tourism Dr. the Hon. Mohammad Anwar Husnoo Minister of Health and Quality of Life Hon. Prithvirajsing Roopun Minister of Arts and Culture Hon. Marie Joseph Noël Etienne Ghislain Minister of Social Security, National Solidarity, and Sinatambou Environment and Sustainable Development Hon. Mahen Kumar Seeruttun Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security Hon. Ashit Kumar Gungah Minister of Industry, Commerce and Consumer Protection Hon. Maneesh Gobin Attorney General, Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Institutional Reforms Hon. Jean Christophe Stephan Toussaint Minister of Youth and Sports Hon. Soomilduth Bholah Minister of Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives 4 Hon. Marie Roland Alain Wong Yen Minister of Social Integration and Economic Cheong, MSK Empowerment Hon. Premdut Koonjoo Minister of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping Hon. Soodesh Satkam Callichurn Minister of Labour, Industrial Relations, Employment and Training Hon. Purmanund Jhugroo Minister of Housing and Lands Hon. Marie Cyril Eddy Boissézon Minister of Civil Service and Administrative Reforms Hon. Dharmendar Sesungkur Minister of Financial Services and Good Governance Hon. Mrs Roubina Jadoo-Jaunbocus Minister of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare 5 PRINCIPAL OFFICERS AND OFFICIALS Madam Speaker Hanoomanjee, Hon. Mrs Santi Bai, GCSK Deputy Speaker Teeluckdharry, Hon. Kalidass Deputy Chairperson of Committees Jahangeer, Hon. Ahmad Bashir Clerk of the National Assembly Lotun, Mrs Bibi Safeena Adviser Dowlutta, Mr Ram Ranjit Deputy Clerk Ramchurn, Ms Urmeelah Devi Clerk Assistant Gopall, Mr Navin Clerk Assistant Seetul, Ms Darshinee Hansard Editor Jankee, Mrs Chitra Parliamentary Librarian Jeewoonarain, Ms Prittydevi and Information Officer Serjeant-at-Arms Pannoo, Mr Vinod 6 MAURITIUS Sixth National Assembly --------------- FIRST SESSION ------------ Debate No. 16 of 2018 Sitting of Saturday 23 June 2018 The Assembly met in the Assembly House, Port Louis at 11.30 a.m. The National Anthem was played (Madam Speaker in the Chair) 7 PAPERS LAID The Prime Minister: Madam Speaker, the Papers have been laid on the Table. A. Office of the Speaker The Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements of the Independent Commission Against Corruption for the 18-month period ended 30 June 2017. B. Prime Minister’s Office (a) The Land (Duties and Taxes) (Amendment of Schedule) (No. 3) Regulations 2018. (Government Notice No. 77 of 2018) (b) The Excise (Amendment of Schedule) Regulations 2018. (Government Notice No. 78 of 2018) 8 ORAL ANSWER TO QUESTION CWA – WATER REFORM The Leader of the Opposition (Mr X. L. Duval) (by Private Notice) asked the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Energy and Public Utilities whether, in regard to the Central Water Authority, he will – (a) state whether Government has – (i) abandoned the proposed privatization thereof through an affermage contract, and (ii) postponed the general increase of the water tariffs and, if so, to when, and (b) obtain therefrom, information as to whether, in regard to its employment policy, same includes the laying off of workers and recruitment of new ones. The Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Energy and Public Utilities (Mr I. Collendavelloo): Madam Speaker, with regard to part (a), over the past 20 years, there have been five attempts by various Governments to reform the water sector, including one attempt to privatise the Central Water Authority, this was in 1999. Insofar as this Government is concerned, there has never been a plan to privatise the CWA. In the context of the ongoing study carried out by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation, there is no privatisation, but a partnership with a private operator which will not entail the privatisation of the assets or the corporatisation of the CWA. CWA will remain a public institution. The partnership consists in delegating the operations and maintenance of the water supply and distribution system to a private operator. The aim is to increase operational efficiency and improve the service provided to the population. It is expected that the operator will bring modern technology and expertise, which is currently inadequate and lacking at the CWA. Madam Speaker, this partnership has been purposely designed for a defined period to enable the transfer of expertise and technology to the CWA and allow it to operate without the support of an external operator at the end of the partnership. 9 In my reply to the PNQ of 17 April 2018, I informed the House that the IFC had submitted its report with a proposed calendar for implementation. The report is still being examined. With regard to part (a) (ii), as far as my Ministry is concerned, there has never been any intention for a general tariff increase, but a new tariff structure was envisaged. This was motivated by the fact that the financial situation of Central Water Authority had been deteriorating over the years, as the last tariff increase dates back to 2012, while there have been increases in staff and operational costs, including a debt level of over Rs 3 billion. The intention was to increase the tariff for those who consume over 50m3 monthly. However, firstly, there were practical difficulties because many of the large consumers such as NHDC housing estates were on the bulk metering system and it was difficult to implement a segregation of tariffs in practice. Further, at a meeting held with the Finance Department of the CWA, it was pointed out to me that with financial support from Government, it would not be necessary to review the tariffs. On 17 April 2018, the hon. Leader of the Opposition, in the course of a PNQ, himself pointed out that with Government subsidy, a tariff review would not be necessary. In the face of these two points of view, I discussed the matter with the hon. Prime Minister and following further consultations with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, financial support is now being provided to the CWA and this has been announced in the Budget Speech. With regard to 50 m3 and above consumers, an additional fee of Rs500 would be payable by swimming pool owners. However, we will continue to monitor the financial situation of CWA closely. With regard to part (b), in the past the Central Water Authority had used a system whereby contractors were chosen to supply labour to perform various types of works. In June 2016, as the hon. Leader of the Opposition will recall, I informed Cabinet of this situation and I also said that CWA would explore ways and means of addressing this state of affairs. As at 31 August 2016, there were about 425 employees of private contractors posted at the CWA, 52 of them were performing clerical and receptionist duties without having the required qualifications. In order to redress this practice, the Central Water Board introduced a fair and transparent policy to recruit employees through well-established procedures by using 10 the services of the Ministry of Labour. CWA offered employment on contract to 130 workers and 16 workers performing duties of drivers and who reckoned 4.5 or more years of service as at 31 August 2016. On 01 March 2017, CWA offered employment on contract to 130 workers for a determinate period of one year. 108 were still in post as at 31 December 2017. The CWA had 179 posts of General Worker out of which 32 posts were vacant as at January 2018. The number of vacancies would have reached 140 at the expiry of the contracts of employment of the 108 General Workers. In order to fill these posts, the CWA requested for a list of potential candidates from the Ministry of Labour and Industrial Relations. On 17 April 2018, the Ministry of Labour and Industrial Relations submitted a list of 300 candidates to the CWA. 149 were offered an employment on contract. 106 have joined the CWA and 3 will assume duty later. Mr X. L. Duval: Madam Speaker, I take some credit in the postponement, annulation of the privatisation and the annulation of the water rate increase. But Madam Speaker, can we call a cat a cat? The hon. Deputy Prime Minister stated that there will be no privatisation. What else would you call a system, a project, where you put all your assets at the disposal of a private operator, all the employees, except for a few 800, 900 are transferred to the private operator, and all the services, 100%, except for Capital Expenditure, given to that private operator, what do you call that, except privatisation of the water services in Mauritius? The Deputy Prime Minister: Well, I do not call it, the world over calls it affermage and not privatisation. Mr X. L. Duval: The Deputy Prime Minister, himself, mentioned - I have the press- cutting - that we are going to privatise the CWA. So, obviously here we have a change of word, but the fact remains the fact.

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